The zebra mbuna (Maylandia zebra) is a species of cichlidendemic to Lake Malawi in Africa. This species can reach a length of 11.3 cm (4.4 in). It feeds on aufwuchs, a surface layer of mostly algal material that grows on rocks. This cichlid is a mouthbrooder and the female broods the eggs in her mouth for about three weeks. This fish can sometimes be found in the aquarium trade.
The zebra mbuna has a single dorsal fin with sixteen to nineteen spines and seven to ten soft rays. The anal fin has three to four spines and six to nine soft rays. It grows to a maximum length of 11.3 cm (4.4 in) SL.[2] The male fish varies in colour in different parts of its range, in some locations having a dark head, throat and belly and in others a blue head, whitish throat and grey/blue belly. In both cases the body is bright blue with up to eight grey/black bars, the dorsal fin is blue and the anal fin is blue to grey, with one to five orange to yellow spots. The female zebra mbuna is polymorphic, that is to say it occurs in two different colour forms. In one morph the head and body colour is pale brownish-grey, with similar coloured dorsal, anal and caudal fins, the pectoral fins have grey rays and clear membranes, and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges. In the other colour morph the throat is brown and the head and body are dark brown to black, the body having blue highlights. The dorsal and caudal fins are a similar brown/black colour and so are the anal fins, but on them, the trailing edges have a number of yellow spots. The pectorals have brown rays and clear membranes, and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The zebra mbuna is endemic to Lake Malawi where it is found in rocky areas, both where there is sediment and where the rock is bare[1] at depths between 6 and 28 m (20 and 92 ft).[2]
Biology
The zebra mbuna largely feeds on aufwuchs, an algae-based community of organisms adhering to rock surfaces. It also consumes zooplankton and small invertebrates. Its mobile mouth is at the tip of its snout with bicuspid teeth at the front and widely spaced tricuspid teeth behind. It holds its body at right angles to the rock and presses its mouth against the surface, repeatedly opening and closing it, and these actions scrape off the loose aufwuchs which it then ingests.[4]
The zebra mbuna is a maternal mouth brooding cichlid. The female broods the eggs and early stage young in her mouth for 18 to 24 days. During this time she is unable to feed and she loses weight. When mature enough, the fry are expelled into the open water and quickly find natural shelter in which to hide. A study by Pierottia et al. (2008) investigated whether the colour morph of the female influenced the male's choice of mate. It was found that the male's preference in mate colouring was best predicted by the colour morph of his mother and that he was not influenced in his choice by his rearing experience.[5]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maylandia zebra.
^ abKonings, A. (2018). "Metriaclima zebra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T120778360A120778426. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T120778360A120778426.en.
^ abFroese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Maylandia zebra" in FishBase. February 2013 version.
^"Morphology Data of Maylandia zebra". FishBase. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
^Oliver, M. K. (2014-04-16). "Aufwuchs: Pseudotropheus (Maylandia) zebra". The cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa. MalawiCichlids.com. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
^Pierottia, Michele E.R.; Knight, Mairi E.; Immler, Simone; Barson, Nicola J.; Turner, George F.; Seehausen, Ole (2008). "Individual variation in male mating preferences for female coloration in a polymorphic cichlid fish". Behavioral Ecology. 19 (3): 483–488. doi:10.1093/beheco/arm154.
^Loh, Yong-Hwee E; Katz, Lee S; Mims, Meryl C; Kocher, Thomas D; Yi, Soojin V; Streelman, J Todd (2008). "Comparative analysis reveals signatures of differentiation amid genomic polymorphism in Lake Malawi cichlids". Genome Biology. 9 (7): R113. doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-7-r113. ISSN 1465-6906. PMC2530870. PMID 18616806.
^Brawand, David; Wagner, Catherine E.; Li, Yang I.; Malinsky, Milan; Keller, Irene; Fan, Shaohua; Simakov, Oleg; Ng, Alvin Y.; Lim, Zhi Wei; Bezault, Etienne; Turner-Maier, Jason (September 2014). "The genomic substrate for adaptive radiation in African cichlid fish". Nature. 513 (7518): 375–381. doi:10.1038/nature13726. ISSN 0028-0836. PMC4353498. PMID 25186727.
^Conte, Matthew A.; Kocher, Thomas D. (December 2015). "An improved genome reference for the African cichlid, Metriaclima zebra". BMC Genomics. 16 (1): 724. doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1930-5. ISSN 1471-2164. PMC4580222. PMID 26394688.
March 10, 2023
zebra, mbuna, zebra, mbuna, maylandia, zebra, species, cichlid, endemic, lake, malawi, africa, this, species, reach, length, feeds, aufwuchs, surface, layer, mostly, algal, material, that, grows, rocks, this, cichlid, mouthbrooder, female, broods, eggs, mouth,. The zebra mbuna Maylandia zebra is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa This species can reach a length of 11 3 cm 4 4 in It feeds on aufwuchs a surface layer of mostly algal material that grows on rocks This cichlid is a mouthbrooder and the female broods the eggs in her mouth for about three weeks This fish can sometimes be found in the aquarium trade Zebra mbunaMale zebra mbunaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder CichliformesFamily CichlidaeGenus MaylandiaSpecies M zebraBinomial nameMaylandia zebra Boulenger 1899 SynonymsMaylandia melabranchion Stauffer Bowers Kellogg amp McKaye 1997 Metriaclima melabranchion Stauffer Bowers Kellogg amp McKaye 1997 Metriaclima zebra Boulenger 1899 Pseudotropheus zebra Boulenger 1899 Tilapia zebra Boulenger 1899 Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Biology 4 Use in aquaria 5 Genome 6 ReferencesDescription EditThe zebra mbuna has a single dorsal fin with sixteen to nineteen spines and seven to ten soft rays The anal fin has three to four spines and six to nine soft rays It grows to a maximum length of 11 3 cm 4 4 in SL 2 The male fish varies in colour in different parts of its range in some locations having a dark head throat and belly and in others a blue head whitish throat and grey blue belly In both cases the body is bright blue with up to eight grey black bars the dorsal fin is blue and the anal fin is blue to grey with one to five orange to yellow spots The female zebra mbuna is polymorphic that is to say it occurs in two different colour forms In one morph the head and body colour is pale brownish grey with similar coloured dorsal anal and caudal fins the pectoral fins have grey rays and clear membranes and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges In the other colour morph the throat is brown and the head and body are dark brown to black the body having blue highlights The dorsal and caudal fins are a similar brown black colour and so are the anal fins but on them the trailing edges have a number of yellow spots The pectorals have brown rays and clear membranes and the black pelvic fins have white leading edges 3 Distribution and habitat EditThe zebra mbuna is endemic to Lake Malawi where it is found in rocky areas both where there is sediment and where the rock is bare 1 at depths between 6 and 28 m 20 and 92 ft 2 Biology EditThe zebra mbuna largely feeds on aufwuchs an algae based community of organisms adhering to rock surfaces It also consumes zooplankton and small invertebrates Its mobile mouth is at the tip of its snout with bicuspid teeth at the front and widely spaced tricuspid teeth behind It holds its body at right angles to the rock and presses its mouth against the surface repeatedly opening and closing it and these actions scrape off the loose aufwuchs which it then ingests 4 The zebra mbuna is a maternal mouth brooding cichlid The female broods the eggs and early stage young in her mouth for 18 to 24 days During this time she is unable to feed and she loses weight When mature enough the fry are expelled into the open water and quickly find natural shelter in which to hide A study by Pierottia et al 2008 investigated whether the colour morph of the female influenced the male s choice of mate It was found that the male s preference in mate colouring was best predicted by the colour morph of his mother and that he was not influenced in his choice by his rearing experience 5 Use in aquaria Edit Zebra mbuna This fish is popular for the aquarium trade Genome EditA draft nuclear genome assembly of Maylandia zebra was first published in 2008 6 A second independent draft genome was also published in 2014 7 and subsequently improved upon in 2015 with Pacific Biosciences single molecule real time sequencing 8 References Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maylandia zebra a b Konings A 2018 Metriaclima zebra IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018 e T120778360A120778426 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2018 2 RLTS T120778360A120778426 en a b Froese Rainer Pauly Daniel eds 2013 Maylandia zebra in FishBase February 2013 version Morphology Data of Maylandia zebra FishBase Retrieved 2014 05 27 Oliver M K 2014 04 16 Aufwuchs Pseudotropheus Maylandia zebra The cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi Africa MalawiCichlids com Retrieved 2014 05 27 Pierottia Michele E R Knight Mairi E Immler Simone Barson Nicola J Turner George F Seehausen Ole 2008 Individual variation in male mating preferences for female coloration in a polymorphic cichlid fish Behavioral Ecology 19 3 483 488 doi 10 1093 beheco arm154 Loh Yong Hwee E Katz Lee S Mims Meryl C Kocher Thomas D Yi Soojin V Streelman J Todd 2008 Comparative analysis reveals signatures of differentiation amid genomic polymorphism in Lake Malawi cichlids Genome Biology 9 7 R113 doi 10 1186 gb 2008 9 7 r113 ISSN 1465 6906 PMC 2530870 PMID 18616806 Brawand David Wagner Catherine E Li Yang I Malinsky Milan Keller Irene Fan Shaohua Simakov Oleg Ng Alvin Y Lim Zhi Wei Bezault Etienne Turner Maier Jason September 2014 The genomic substrate for adaptive radiation in African cichlid fish Nature 513 7518 375 381 doi 10 1038 nature13726 ISSN 0028 0836 PMC 4353498 PMID 25186727 Conte Matthew A Kocher Thomas D December 2015 An improved genome reference for the African cichlid Metriaclima zebra BMC Genomics 16 1 724 doi 10 1186 s12864 015 1930 5 ISSN 1471 2164 PMC 4580222 PMID 26394688 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Zebra mbuna amp oldid 1055580280, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
